It is known in the construction industry—particularly in connection with suspended ceilings—to suspend a wire from a hanger clip (e.g., a Z-Purlin clip (model ADOC14) or C-Purlin clip (model VOH14) sold by Doc's Marketing of Simi Valley, Calif.) by first threading the wire though an aperture in the clip and then twisting the wire around itself by hand. Connecting the hanger to a (overhead) support is a generally quick, but manual, operation that often entails using a tool, such as an extendable pole (e.g., the LAGMASTER®) tipped with an appropriate tool head (e.g., a CADDY® VAFT Installation Tool for Purlin Clips). However, while the prior art tools and tools heads permit quicker mounting of the hanger, they do not solve the problem of the wire needing to be twisted/secured clip by hand to the hanger. It would, therefore, be of some advantage to have an apparatus that permits quick mounting of a hanger clip to a support while also allowing the wire associated with the clip to be rapidly twisted/secured to the hanger.
Among the more relevant prior art apparatus to the issue of twisting/securing a wire to a hanger is U.S. Pat. No. 6,786,116 (“the '116 patent), the disclosure of which is incorporated by reference its entirety into this disclosure. Also of some relevance is the commercially available LAGMASTER® pole and LM Head that is used with the LAGMASTER® pole.
The '116 patent described a pole body 12 having a first connector 28 at one end 30. The first connector 28 could be engaged by one of a variety of different tool heads (e.g., 60, 360, 460, etc.). And, at least some of the tool heads were described as being useful for mounting a fastener—such as an eye-lag screw 79, 551 (FIGS. 6 and 11A) or a screw for hanging threaded rod 498 (FIG. 10)—into a ceiling.
FIG. 6 of the '116 patent showed a tool head 60 (e.g., an LM Head) having a pair of perpendicular channels 72a, 72b that extend substantially across the entire length of the tool 60. A retainer ring 75 is also shown extending around the tool 60. In operation, an eye-lag screw 79 to be installed rests in one channel 72b, with a wire 77 passing through the other channel 72a and also the eye of the screw 79. Prior to development of the apparatus of the '116 patent, as user might twist the wire 77 by hand to secure it to the screw 79. However, using the apparatus of the '116 patent, after the screw 79 is driven into a ceiling (not show), the user could draw down on, and rotate (using an electric drill), the pole body 12 to quickly twist the wire 77.